The dictionary, Faclair na Gàidhlig, aims to document the history, development and usage of every single word in the language.

It is an essential resource for the Gaelic language and once complete, the dictionary will give Gaelic its equivalent of the multi-volume resources already available for Scots and English.

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, John Swinney, said: “As Minister with responsibility for Gaelic, I have been impressed by the work which has gone into this project to date, and look forward to seeing it continue into its next phase.

“Faclair na Gàidhlig is an excellent example of partnership working between academic institutions and other organisations. This kind of collaboration will support our commitment to the Gaelic language, and ensure it has a sustainable future in Scotland.”

Although other dictionaries have been produced since, students and speakers of Scottish Gaelic still rely heavily on Edward Dwelly’s Illustrated Gaelic English Dictionary which was first published between 1901 and 1911.

The production of the new dictionary is being made possible through a pioneering collaboration between the universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Professor Boyd Robertson, Principal of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and Convenor of Faclair na Gàidhlig’s Steering Committee, said: “The production of Faclair na Gàidhlig is an immensely significant national enterprise which has attracted considerable international interest and involvement.

“Based on first-hand evidence from an impressively large digital corpus, it will provide users with an authoritative, definitive and informative dictionary that will facilitate an in-depth understanding of the material and written heritage of the language, yield detailed insights into its linguistic, literary and cultural development and afford an appreciation of the foundational contribution of the Gael to Scottish history, society and life.

“By giving first-hand evidence from the language itself, a dictionary of this type and scale provides information on a level unsurpassed by any encyclopaedia.”

The project has also been consistently supported by Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the national public body with responsibility for Gaelic. The new funding will be managed by the Scottish Funding Council.

John Kemp, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “The new dictionary will go beyond language and into Gaelic culture and heritage. It will fuel the growth and expansion of Gaelic education at all ages and stages. As well as its relevance to today’s speakers and students of Gaelic, Faclair na Gàidhlig will be an important resource for many generations to come.”

Preparatory work for the new dictionary has been extensive and includes assembling a database of 30 million Gaelic words from written sources and drawing on oral materials held in a variety of national collections. Dictionary structure has been investigated through the compilation of over 100 sample entries and detailed training materials have been created to instruct the first historical lexicographers in Scottish Gaelic.

The corpus of 30 million words is currently being finalised by the Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic (DASG) project at the University of Glasgow, under the direction of Professor Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, Convenor of the international Advisory Group of Faclair na Gàidhlig.

Professor Ó Maolalaigh, a Gaelic scholar, who is Vice Principal and Head of the College of Arts at the University of Glasgow, said: “Languages are important to their speakers. A resource like Faclair na Gàidhlig underpins and future proofs the language for future generations.

“This is a project of national importance and again highlights the excellent collaborative work being done in the Arts and Humanities in Scotland. This new dictionary will ensure Scottish Gaelic will be accessible to all, speakers, learners and teachers, helping to capture the riches of the language and bequeath a priceless legacy to future generations.”